Abstract

Background: Arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis is an essential part of diagnosing and managing a patient’s oxygenation, ventilation status as well as acid-base balance. The usefulness of this diagnostic tool is dependent on being able to correctly interpret the results. The body operates efficiently within a fairly narrow range of blood pH (acid-base balance). Even relatively small changes can be detrimental to cellular function. Disorders of acid-base balance can create complications in many disease states, and occasionally the abnormality may be so severe so as to become a life-threatening risk factor. A thorough understanding of acid-base balance is mandatory for physicians, intensivists, and anesthesiologists are not exception! We must always interpret them in light of the patient’s history, clinical presentation and laboratory information’s.
Objectives: ABG is not merely a tracing paper! So many variables right at the tracing paper as well as clinical variables of the patients hatch fearfulness among young physicians. So the effort was to make ABG EASY and to develop an algorithm which will conduct navigating diagnosis!
Conclusion: Arterial blood gases help assess three vital physiologic processes in the critically ill patient: acid-base balance, ventilation and oxygenation. Initial blood gas analysis helps diagnose underlying disease processes as well as guide therapeutic interventions. Serial measurements can be utilized to assess proper response to therapy. Blood gas analysis takes a step-by-step approach and practice. Blood gas data should always be integrated in light of the full clinical and laboratory information.

Keywords

Oxygenation, Ventilation, Acid-base, Metabolic, Saturation, Bicarbonate, Arterial blood gas, Acid-base balance, Oxygen saturation, disease processes, Acid-base disturbance, Pathologic processes, Regulation of acid-base balance, Bicarbonate conservation